Exchange student wants to try different things

When it came time to select her class schedule at RVHS this year, Line Skaarup of Obense, Denmark decided to have some fun taking classes she would not be able to take as a student back home.

By Troy KrauseEditor

Line Skaarup of Obense, Denmark, which is located on the island of Fyn, knows what she does in terms of education over the next few months is not going to really count.“It’s just for fun,” Skaarup said.So, when it came time to select her class schedule Skaarup decided to do just that – have some fun taking classes she would not be able to take as a student in Denmark.Courses such as creative writing, culinary arts, art and Spanish are part of Skaarup’s schedule.“I had art in my younger grades,” said Skaarup.In addition during the school year she is going to be taking English and U.S. History. Skaarup said communicating in English is not as hard as she thought it might be, adding she has been studying it since she was in the third grade.“I watch a lot of American TV,” Skaarup said, as she explained how she has been able to speak the language so well.Also, prior to arriving in Redwood Falls in August, Skaarup spent time at a language and culture camp in Boston brushing up on her skills and learning about the United States.

Skaarup, who is staying with the Greg and Sara Weis family, said she is adjusting well to her new surroundings, adding the family she is living with has been very welcoming and helpful.Skaarup said one of the first things she noticed about Redwood Falls was how different houses can be. She said most of the houses back home are brick and have a very similar look. She agreed the variety is nice.Like her course selection, Skaarup is opting to try new extra-curricular activities during her experience at RVHS, and this fall she is part of the school’s upcoming theater performance of “The Crucible.” Skaarup is part of the technical crew for the play, and she said the opportunity to learn about theater is something new. She is hoping to learn a lot as she gets involved. Skaarup is especially hoping to get involved with the costuming and make-up side of the local school performance.The possibility of being involved in sports later this year is also something Skaarup is considering.Skaarup said the whole school setting is very different than she is used to, and she said this school year is giving her a chance to broaden her horizons before she returns to Denmark and begins the next chapter of her formal education.She said students in Denmark, after completing grade nine, are given the chance to select the kind of high school (called gymnasium) they want to attend.“I am planning to go to a business focused school,” she said, adding she is considering that field or the potential of law school after graduating from high school.The 16-year-old high school sophomore and daughter of Tommy and Gitte Skaarup, said people have been very friendly and welcoming to her.“People have just started talking to me in the supermarket,” she said, adding that kind of open attitude is not something she experiences back home.During her time, Skaarup is going to visit Mount Rushmore, she said, and is going to visit someplace warm this winter.

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